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Rail ticket office staff to strike in bank holidays row
Anna Davis27.02.09
TICKET office staff and other workers at a train company are to strike for 24 hours in a dispute over holidays, it was announced today.
More than 130 working in retail grades at c2c, which operates services between London and Essex, will walk out on Monday.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association said talks had failed to resolve the dispute.
The unions claimed c2c, owned by National Express, had a holiday policy that includes paying staff only for bank holidays they worked.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT said: "We called off a strike two weeks ago to allow further talks, but despite hours of discussions there has been no satisfactory movement from the company and we have no alternative but to reinstate strike action.
"Our members are quite clear that they want an unequivocal commitment to 28 days' paid leave, and not ever more complex ways of avoiding it."
TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "It beggars belief that National Express is refusing bank holiday pay to our members after announcing profits of £194 million for last year.
"National Express pays bank holidays at its three other franchises, but not at c2c. It is unfair and they should admit that fact."
Reader views (6)
Why don't they just refuse to take fares or inspect tickets? That way they get the public on side.
- Paul, London
Everyone gets 28 days leave.
20 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays.
- Steve, Gloucestershire
28 days leave?! Lucky so-and-so's!!
- Sarah, London
Does anyone in the rail industry do anything other than strike these days (oh and raise ticket prices by more than inflation before getting paid obnoxiously large bonuses)? They're more militant than the miners in the 80s. Time to get Thatcher in to sack the lot. The economy's going down the toilet, you're all lucky to have jobs.
- Mcw, London
What is this dispute really about? "Since 1 October 2007 all workers have had a statutory right to at least 4.8 weeks paid annual leave (that's 24 days paid holiday if you work five days a week). From 1 April 2009 this entitlement will increase to 5.6 weeks (28 days)".(Directgov)so that there will be equanimity across National Express owned TOCs
- Donald Smith, Palmers Green, London
Strike all you like. It's not like anyone's seen a ticket office open for ages anyway ....... Now how about the ticket inspectors striking?
- Marianne, SW France
